TOWAMENCIN — North Penn football under coach Dick Beck has been more substance than style. The Knights, however, can still look good when out on the gridiron.

Holding its picture day Friday afternoon at Crawford Stadium, North Penn showcased some new attire — a Columbia Blue alternate jersey.

“Spice it up a little bit,” Beck said.

The new uniforms — which would be a third option along with the Knights’ usual white and dark blue looks — got the seal of approval from senior Nick Wright.

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“I think it’s actually good looking,” he said. “I don’t know about when we’re going to wear it, like what games we’re going to wear it for, but I like them.”

The business at hand for the Knights Friday was being presentable for the camera. But come Monday, when practice officially begins, the job turns to building a successful team for 2013.

“This is the time of year. Grass is green, everybody’s fired up,” Beck said. “Everybody’s new and gotten bigger and stronger. So, kids are ready to show what they can do.”

Last year’s Knights finished 6-4, with the six victories the lowest total for the program since Beck became coach in 2002. It was also the first season North Penn missed the District One Class AAAA playoffs since 2001 and the first without a Suburban One League conference title since 2007.

“I hope we have a little chip on our shoulder,” Beck said. “Last year was, I think at times, was a great year. Meaning, it was a lot of excitement, and a lot of kids did some great things. But at the end, ultimately, we didn’t make the playoffs. We’re going to try to avoid that this year.”

Wright echoed his coach’s goal of getting the Knights back among the elite teams in the area.

“We want to get back in the playoffs, cause people feel like we dropped off last year,” the linebacker/fullback said.

The Knights’ first step in returning to the district postseason comes Saturday, Aug. 31 with a Week 1 matchup against 4A state semifinalist La Salle. North Penn has won just one of the five matchups between the teams since 2010.

“We really want to beat La Salle this year because last year they really ran on us,” Wright said. “But this year I think we’ll be good.”

North Penn graduated three of its top four rushers — including 1,000-yard runner Kyle Mayfield — along with its top five in receiving yards. But Senior Jesse Cook says one thing the current Knights have going for them so far is team chemistry.

“I feel like this year we’re more of a team,” Cook said. “Definitely more close, definitely have more trust in each other. And that’s always great for a good team.”

And if the Knights need to build a more cohesive unit, there’s no better time that into the two weeks before the regular season opener.

“This is a time that you become a team,” Beck said. “You’re kind of sweating it through a lot of some heartache and some troubled times where you’re tired, you don’t want to get up and you push through it. Hopefully, kids carry each other through it.”

“You’re not getting through it alone, you get through with the rest of your teammates. And I think that’s kind of what builds character within this team.”

All that work gets started Monday morning. And Cook is ready to go.

“I’ve waiting for this for so long,” he said. “Played football for 13 years, it’s my senior year, I can’t wait.”